Volume X
20 May 2014
Thrill Jockey
2.5 stars out of 5
Have Trans Am run out of gas? Their tenth studio LP, the
appropriately titled Volume X, barely
rolls out of the driveway. Their kraut rock-inspired garage band madness which
once were a pretty good excuse for fun and dancing are delivered here with
sheepish apology rather than demand to shake your booty. It’s basically an
album with two worthy tracks, the other eight being filler. Should have been a
7” single instead of a full LP.
It takes until track nine, “Megastorm,” for something
resembling a good beat to make an appearance. Up to that point it’s all
misfires and sputters, reaching a nadir with the embarrassing attempt at a
ballad that is “I’ll Never.” The slower, acoustic “Insufficiently Business”
throws an interesting new twist into the Trans Am sound, but it’s far too
little, far too late to save the album.
While good bands release duds every once in a while and the
phenomenon shouldn’t be entirely unexpected, it’s always sad when it manifests
in the oeuvre of a band that had previously embodied the independent creative
spirit. Hopefully Trans Am can rekindle that spirit again in the future, but
when Volume XI does appear I will be
less eager to pick it up having suffered through the sad mess that is Volume X.
reviewed by Richard Krueger
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